Author
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Sassenrath, Gretchen |
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Submitted to: Applied Statistics In Agriculture Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 10/4/2008 Publication Date: 4/15/2009 Citation: Sassenrath, G.F. 2009. Developing Accurate Spatial Maps of Cotton Fiber Quality Parameters. Applied Statistics In Agriculture Conference Proceedings,CD-ROM Interpretive Summary: Advances in spatial technologies allow cotton producers to accurately map within-field differences in yield. However, technology to spatially register changes in cotton fiber quality is limited. In this study, differences in cotton fiber quality parameters are determined as a function of harvest and ginning. Because of small sample size, most research level fiber studies use hand harvesting, and small lab gins that lack cleaners. These lead to differences in fiber parameters. In this study, high sampling frequency was used to develop correction factors for research-induced errors in physiological parameters of cotton fibers. While improvements in the accuracy of fiber samples were made, significant differences in spatial structure remained after correction. This will limit the ability to develop correlations of cotton fiber parameters with underlying field conditions, such as soil nutrient and hydraulic characteristics, elevation, and environment. Technical Abstract: Awareness of the importance of cotton fiber quality (Gossypium, L. sps.) has increased as advances in spinning technology require better quality cotton fiber. Recent advances in geospatial information sciences allow an improved ability to study the extent and causes of spatial variability in fiber parameters. However, these studies are often harvested by hand and ginned on small research gins. Fiber quality from cotton lint harvested and ginned in this manner is different from that machine-harvested and ginned on production-scale equipment. The objective of this study was to develop a method of correcting for error introduced into cotton fiber quality parameters from samples as a result of harvest and ginning methods. This correction method will allow more realistic comparisons between results that researchers commonly report and measurements that a producer would receive. Field-grown cotton was harvested by machine and hand, and ginned the samples with a small research gin and a production-scale gin. The results reported here examine the population characteristics for physiological fiber parameters including micronaire, strength, length and uniformity. The correction needed for translating the research results to the production scale was determined, and the error inherent in that correction between populations of cotton fibers from different years. To demonstrate the impact of the research-induced error and the correction factor, spatial maps of cotton fiber length are plotted. |
